A few words from Buzz.

G’day, I’m Buzz, and I’m the Head of Operations at Mates4Mates. Part of my new role provides me with the privilege of working with our five Regional Managers and their teams across all our locations and online.

Veteran and family care is a real passion of mine, having previously served in the Royal Australian Air Force and Royal Air Force for more than 20 years.

Over my first few months at Mates4Mates, I’ve been racking up the frequent flyer miles and travelling to our centres across North Queensland, the Northern Territory, and Tasmania, as well as visiting our centres in Brisbane and my old hometown of Ipswich. I’ve had the chance to meet with veterans and family members in each region and hear their stories of how our teams are supporting them on the ground.

Mates4Mates had over 17,000 attendees at our social connection activities in 2022, both in person and online. I’ve discovered that we have Mates who regularly join us for social connection activities from every state in Australia and from many countries internationally.

Before joining the Mates4Mates team, I simply didn’t realise the size and scale of the operation and I suspect many don’t because our staff just humbly go on with delivering support services to veterans and their family members!

If you’re a veteran or family member impacted by service, head over to mates4mates.org to see what activities and events we have coming up near you or online.